Qi Mengyu scooped some cool water from the basin into a cup, then opened the thermos and poured in half hot water, adjusting it to lukewarm. She squeezed toothpaste onto the toothbrush before handing both the cup of warm water and the prepared toothbrush to Su Li.
Su Li paused, suddenly reminded of his girlfriend, Wang Lan.
Sometimes during breaks, he’d often be dead drunk from business the night before and only return late. When Wang Lan came to find him the next morning, he’d still be in bed. She’d always urge him to get up while squeezing toothpaste for him, preparing a cup of warm water, and boiling him an egg.
He’d thought more than once that fate had been kind to him, giving him such a wonderful girlfriend—someone he had to cherish for life.
But he never expected a sudden massive flood to change everything. He could no longer find Wang Lan, didn’t even know if she was alive or dead.
Wang Lan’s usual place wasn’t close to his—a good eight or nine kilometers away. And her apartment was on the ninth floor, now submerged beneath the floodwaters.
Su Li dared not imagine what had become of Wang Lan.
These past days, he’d been locked in constant battle with monsters, and last night saw a series of fierce fights. Between life and death, nerves stretched taut, it was hard to spare energy for thoughts of romance.
In truth, he’d rarely thought of Wang Lan in the last two days. But now, seeing this familiar scene—Qi Mengyu handing him the toothbrush and cup—he couldn’t help but think of her, and a pang of pain struck his heart.
“Just leave it on the table. I’ll handle it. You can go out.” Su Li had been in a good mood, but now his spirits suddenly sank.
Qi Mengyu noticed the shift in his expression and dared not say more. She quickly replied with a “yes,” lowered her head, and walked out, a look of sorrow on her face.
She had once been a middle school teacher, well-liked by both leadership and students. Her boyfriend came from a well-off family, picking her up and dropping her off in his BMW, treating her like a princess, earning her countless envious glances from colleagues.
But she never expected a flood to change everything.
Thinking of the nightmare she’d endured these past days, she shuddered. Today, Xu Haishui had arranged for her to attend to Su Li, yet she’d been dismissed by him.
Her heart was full of grief. She recalled how she’d once been held high, cherished like a princess in her boyfriend’s hands, and now she had to grovel and serve others, forcing a smile with caution.
Su Li had no idea of Qi Mengyu’s sorrow at that moment. He was thinking of Wang Lan, his mood low. He shook his head, not daring to dwell on it, but deep inside, a faint impulse stirred—to go to Wang Lan’s home and see for himself.
Before, his strength had been insufficient. Even the Zifeng Building, just three kilometers away, had been perilous for him, let alone Wang Lan’s home, eight or nine kilometers distant.
But now, things were different.
He was already a Level 5 Source Awakener, having mastered the “Source Art,” with “Spider Walk” and the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword that could cut through iron like mud. Ordinary monsters were no match for him, and he’d even slain powerful leaders and rare-class monsters.
Wang Lan’s “Huating Compound” was about eight or nine kilometers from Su Li’s original place, but a bit closer to the Zifeng Building. Su Li estimated it was about a kilometer nearer—roughly seven or eight kilometers in a straight line.
Seven or eight kilometers—maybe worth a try. At least he could go to Huating Compound, check her home.
Only then could he find peace.
Even if he found Wang Lan’s body, it would be better than knowing nothing now.
“That’s settled,” Su Li thought silently.
After washing up, Qi Mengyu brought in his breakfast.
He noticed she kept her head slightly lowered, as if she’d done something wrong, and couldn’t help saying, “Thank you, I appreciate your trouble.”
Hearing his thanks, Qi Mengyu’s body trembled. She looked up, a smile returning to her face. “No trouble at all. It’s what I should do.”
Su Li thought to himself, *You’re not my girlfriend, nor a maid—what’s this ‘should do’? It’s just that the world has changed, and the strong rule, while the weak cling to the strong to survive.*
Qi Mengyu’s attitude toward him wasn’t because she liked him, but because of his strength.
She was just an ordinary woman, not even a Source Awakener. To survive, she had to prove her worth.
“Have you eaten? Want to sit and have some together?” Su Li felt awkward with her standing there watching him, so he gestured for her to join him.
Qi Mengyu gave a restrained smile. “Thanks, I’ve already eaten.”
“Then sit down, or go about your business—don’t mind me. With you standing there, I can’t eat a thing.” Su Li gave a wry smile at Qi Mengyu.
Qi Mengyu blinked, looking at Su Li as if realizing he was different from the others she’d served before. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally sat down on a chair nearby.
But she only perched on the edge, keeping a very proper posture.
Seeing her so tense, Su Li sighed.
Just then, Xu Haishui knocked excitedly and walked in.
At the sight of Xu Haishui, Qi Mengyu, who had just sat down, stood up again and greeted him respectfully, “Brother Hai.”
Xu Haishui grunted in acknowledgment and then said eagerly, “Brother Su, you’re finally awake. There are plenty of big matters here waiting for you to decide.”
Among the group, Su Li was the strongest, and Xu Haishui had unconsciously come to see him as the top leader, replacing Tao Bingjun.
Su Li noticed how deferential Qi Mengyu was to Xu Haishui and thought, *So this guy’s become ‘Brother Hai’ now.* Aloud, he said, “With just twenty or thirty people in total, what big matters need my decision? You can handle the arrangements.”
Xu Haishui chuckled. “I can manage the small stuff, but this one needs your final say—it’s about where everyone will live.”
“Oh?” Su Li understood. This involved where he himself would stay in the Zifeng Building, and Xu Haishui indeed didn’t dare decide for him.
“What’s your take? And Brother Ding and the others?”
Xu Haishui replied, “Brother Ding and the others got up early. They’re downstairs now—he’s tallying supplies, he’s into that. As for where to live, he said it’s up to you, just that he wants to stay with you.”
Su Li was amused. Before, they’d lived together because there were too few of them and none were strong enough, so they needed to look out for each other.
Now, at the Zifeng Building, things were different. Guards were posted day and night, making it hard for monsters to sneak in. And their strength had grown—ordinary monsters could hardly harm them. He didn’t want to room with Ding Longyun again, listening to his snoring all night.
“The Zifeng Building has plenty of rooms. No need to crowd together,” Su Li said, looking reluctant.
Xu Haishui laughed. “I said the same thing. Brother Ding said if not, he’d at least live next door to you.”
“Next door is fine. By the way, if Gong Xiao’s willing to live with me, I could reluctantly accept that. Or, you could arrange it? She’ll follow your orders, right?”
Xu Haishui let out an “uh,” shrank his neck, and made a scared face, grinning. “Brother Su, do you think I’d dare arrange that? I’m afraid Sister Gong would just take a knife and kill me.”
Though Xu Haishui was also a Level 5 Source Awakener, on par with them, he understood the dynamics. He knew the bond between Su Li, Ding Longyun, Gong Xiao, and Xu Xuehui was beyond his reach, and he showed them due respect.
“Haha.” Su Li had been joking, but seeing Xu Haishui’s reaction, he couldn’t help laughing.
Qi Mengyu, listening quietly, also cracked a faint smile, sensing a relaxed atmosphere. She suddenly realized that this Su Li was completely different from Tao Bingjun, Wang Zhensheng, and the others.
They had only brought her fear and dread, but Su Li was not only much better-looking but also gentler in temperament. He didn’t seem as terrifying as everyone had imagined last night—he seemed… like a good man.
“By the way, what’s your opinion? Which floor should we stay on?”
Xu Haishui quickly said, “I wouldn’t dare decide that. Brother Su, you should choose yourself.”
Su Li thought for a moment before saying, “The 37th floor is where supplies are stored—it’s the most important. Tao Bingjun chose to live on the 38th floor, the top, and put Wang Zhensheng and Sun Wenbo on the 36th, sandwiching the 37th floor’s supplies in the middle. That arrangement was reasonable and safe. We don’t need to move the supplies on the 37th. So we can put trusted people on the 38th and 36th floors. Other floors stay as they are—like the 35th for relatively important people, the 34th as a dining and activity area, and from the 33rd down for everyone else.”
Xu Haishui nodded repeatedly, agreeing with Su Li’s assessment.
“Here’s the plan: I, Brother Ding, Gong Xiao, and Xuehui will stay on the 38th. You pick a few trusted people for the 36th—like that important engineer, Yan Fang, and those four girls. They need extra care, so they can go on the 36th too. Oh, and I think the 35th floor should be entirely for Yan Fang’s research. Talents like him are crucial—take good care of him and meet his needs as much as possible.”
Xu Haishui kept nodding, then added, “I’d like to keep Qi Mengyu on the 38th too, so she can be nearby to help.”
Su Li glanced at Qi Mengyu, still standing there. He understood Xu Haishui’s intent—to have her attend to him.
This was probably the privilege of becoming the leader of the Zifeng Building group.
Su Li hesitated. He didn’t really need someone to look after him, but seeing the hint of anxiety and pleading on Qi Mengyu’s face, he thought it over and agreed.
Qi Mengyu was just an ordinary girl now, with no ability to protect herself. If he didn’t show some care, who knew what others might have in mind for her? Sending her downstairs could easily lead to trouble. At least on the top floor, such accidents wouldn’t happen.